Olympics

Cybersecurity experts are confirming that a computer malware attack dubbed "Olympic Destroyer" hit select networks and Wi-Fi systems at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang on Friday, but they would not say for sure whether Russia or North Korea are to blame.

Users with a @pyeongchang2018.com email address were targeted in the attack, which lasted less than an hour on Friday night, experts said.

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics kicked off on Friday — at 8 p.m. in South Korea and at 6 a.m. ET in the U.S. — with 2,900 athletes from 92 countries gathering to compete for 102 medals in Pyeongchang.

The U.S. Olympic team was led into Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium by flag-bearer Erin Hamlin.

The Winter Games run from Feb. 9-25. The Paralympics will use many of the same facilities, with 670 athletes competing from March 9-18.

Up and down Main Street in downtown Madison, the local chamber of commerce has placed one American and one Olympic flag atop every single light post. They are flying high in celebration of the town’s three Olympians — freestyle skiers Mac Bohonnon and Kiley McKinnon and figure skater Zach Donohue.

Ex-sports doctor Larry Nassar was handed his third sentence on Monday, this time of 40 to 125 years in prison after pleading guilty to molesting young gymnasts at an elite Michigan training facility.

Dozens of people gave victim statements last week in the Eaton County, Mich., courtroom. There, Randy Margraves, the father of two of them, charged at Nassar saying he wanted a minute alone with the "demon." Sheriff's deputies tackled him before he reached the former doctor.

North Korea's ceremonial leader, Kim Yong Nam, will visit South Korea as part of a high-level delegation attending the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics this week amid somewhat eased tensions between the bitter rivals.

Kim is the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and is the nominal head of North Korea, although nearly all real power is concentrated in the hands of third-generation hereditary ruler, Kim Jong Un.

The board of USA Gymnastics says its remaining members will resign in response to a request by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The U.S. Olympic Committee had earlier set a deadline of Jan. 31 for their resignation, or USA Gymnastics would face the loss of its certification as a national governing body. The deadline was one week from the day disgraced team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for abusing more than 150 gymnasts.

Russia hosted the last Winter Olympics, in 2014. But the country is banned from being represented at the 2018 Games that start in February, after the International Olympic Committee said it found a widespread culture of Russian cheating through performance-enhancing drugs.

The International Olympic Committee has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee "with immediate effect," essentially banning the country from the upcoming Winter Olympics over Russia's system of state-supported cheating by athletes using performance-enhancing drugs.

Russian athletes can compete in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the IOC said Tuesday — but the athletes will have to pass strict scrutiny, and instead of wearing their nation's uniform, they will compete under the title "Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)."

The full American squad — both men and women — won the most medals overall, 121, as has often been the case in the Summer Games. But first in London four years ago, and again in Rio, the U.S. women have captured most of those medals.

The U.S. women took 61, the men had 55, and there were five in mixed events, including equestrian and mixed-doubles tennis.

Announcing that two swimmers have now flown out of a Rio airport after being detained by police, U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun is apologizing for how the pair and two other swimmers behaved in Brazil.

"The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable," Blackmun said, referring to swimmers Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger.

The U.S. had never won an Olympic gold medal in women's freestyle wrestling. Japan's Saori Yoshida had lost only twice in 14 years of competition and was the reigning gold medalist at 53 kg (117 pounds).

But Thursday belonged to American Helen Maroulis. With a couple of quick moves in the second period, she was suddenly up 4-1 over the nearly unbeatable Yoshida. The clocked ticked down. The horn blew.

A euphoric Maroulis won the gold.

A stunned Yoshida, head tucked in her hands on the mat, had to settle for silver.

The U.S. women's water polo team will be back in the pool on Friday, hungry for a second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The women made it to the gold medal match after a decisive victory Wednesday against Hungary in the semifinals.

I watched that game with the mother of not one, but two players on Team USA.

Leslie Fischer of Laguna Beach, Calif., was sitting poolside, watching anxiously as the Hungarian players beat up on the U.S. team, including her daughters: Makenzie, 19, and Aria, 17, who's still in high school and the youngest player on the U.S. roster.